A great tasting mild cigar.. . The Macanudo Cafe Petit Corona is a Short Panatela: 5'' long; his ring gauge is 38, which means diameter=38/64 of inch. Made in Dominican Republic by General Cigar; it's a Medium bodied cigar. The cigar blend is composed by Piloto Cubano; Mexico tobacco and the binder is from Mexico. It is wrapped with a beautiful Natural Connecticut Shade wrapper. About Macanudo Cafe: Macanudo was originally the name of a frontmark produced in Jamaica by the makers of the Cuban br...

4-stars, Not Recommended -- I love Macanudo cigars, but...

Cons: I just wish this cigar wasn't so expensive; quality comes at a price!

This is a small cigar, and one that I really enjoy for its flavor and consistent quality. That being said, I don't particularly recommend it to others.

Simply put: it is too small. This is a 5-inch by 38 ring gauge Petit Corona cigar. It tastes every bit the same as the Macanudo Hampton Court or Hyde Park cigars, which I prefer to this small cigar.

The Cigar -------------------------------------------------- This cigar is usually packed in an cellophane wrapper. The liquor shore that I purchased this cigar at had a well-maintained humidor, so I felt confident with my purchase. I normally don't buy Macanudo cigars by the box because this is an expensive brand, plus I like to try different kinds of cigars. Usually, when I buy cigars, I buy "by the bundle," and not "by the box," because I don't like paying for boxes!

The Petit Corona that I smoked was in near perfect condition. I say "near" because the wrapper on this small cigar did show some color variation in the leaf. Overall, this was a beautifully constructed cigar with a smooth wrapper, a firm body, and filler tobaccos neatly packed. This cigar is made with a Connecticut-shade wrapper that is twice-aged (which reduces the tobacco's acidity, sugar, tar, and nicotine levels).

The filler tobacco is hand selected from growers in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico. The binder is a dark leaf tobacco from Mexico. This cigar has narrow (ring gauge of 38 = slightly more than 1/2 of an inch in diameter), and when smoked this cigar burns evenly.

This is a mild cigar. As with most Connecticut leaf Macanudos, the cigar itself smells of sweet wood and pecan meat, with earth and floral undertones. In the draw, this cigar features nuances of dried fruit, cedar and leather. The Petit Corona size is not my favorite -- I prefer the Prince Philip, a 7-1/2inch x 49 gauge cigar -- but for a first-time smoker of this brand I reservedly recommend this cigar, but would suggest that you try the slightly larger Hampton Court Corona.

Some Additional Background Info -------------------------------------------------- In terms of sales volume, Macanudo is the world's most popular premium cigar. I first started smoking this brand almost 20 years ago while I was in college. At the time, this cigar was produced in Jamaica by Montego Y Cia. Today, the company is owned by the cigar marketing giant, General Cigar, and is produced in both Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

Purchase and Availability -------------------------------------------------- I purchased this cigar for $5.35 at local liquor store here in Southern California. That's a horrible price, but we have a 100% tobacco tax in California. I'd would consider buying Macanudo's by the box, but it would kill my budget for cigars and wine.

The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for this cigar is $93.75 per box of 25 cigars. JR Cigars (of North Carolina -- www.jrcigars.com), a highly reputable online dealer and one that I confidently recommend, sells this cigar for $62.95 (plus about $5 shipping) for a box of 25 cigars. That puts the "best" retail price at about $2.75 per stick. That's a very fair price. You can find this cigar online at Thompson & Co., Inc., of Tampa, Florida (www.thompsoncigar.com). Price: $94 for a box of 25, plus $8.95 for shipping and handling. That puts the price of this cigar, in quantity, at over $4 per stick. Too high!

Recommendation -------------------------------------------------- This is a great cigar in terms of flavor and construction. I really like Macanudo products. Enjoy this one with a nice, light white wine. Two days ago, I smoked this, the last Macanudo in my humidor, with a couple of glasses of Riesling wine.